Blinder avoidance in social network interactions

ABSTRACT

A method, system and computer program product for blinder avoidance in social networking interactions includes executing a social networking data processing system in memory of a host computing system to provide a social networking service to different users in a social network. The method also includes defining in memory of the host computing system a user interface interaction for a user interface of the social networking service, and a corresponding user interface change in connection with a presentation of a status update for a user in different streams of other users of the social networking service. In response to detecting the user interface interaction with respect to a stream of status updates presented to one of the other users, the corresponding user interface change is performed in the user interface in connection with the presentation of the status update for the user in the stream.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to social network content aggregation andmore particularly to presenting social network updates in a userinterface.

Description of the Related Art

Social networking refers to the electronic aggregation of socialrelations among individuals who share interests, activities, backgroundsor real-life connections. A social networking service generally providesfor a representation of each participant, often referred to as a“profile”, one or more connections to other participants in the network,as well as other logical functions operating upon those connections.Social networking services generally are provided by way of the WorldWide Web (“Web”). The user interface to a Web-based social networkingservice typically provides controls allowing users to managerespectively different public profiles, to manage respectively differentlists of other end connected users, and most importantly, to view statusupdates and other content produced by or in association with theconnected users.

Generally, status updates and other content produced by or inassociation with the connections of an user are presented in a stream.Classical terms for the stream include a wall, timeline or feed. Assuch, a review of the stream will reveal to the user the contemporaneousgoings-on with a social network of connections of the user. For socialnetworks of limited connections, or for social networks of limitedupdates, ascertaining the state of the social network is as simple asperusing the stream. However, for larger social networks, or fornetworks of particularly dense streams, the user bears the risk ofmissing content due to the sheer volume of entries in the stream. Thisphenomena has been referred to as “banner blindness”.

Banner blindness is a phenomenon in the study of human factors in whichvisitors to a Web site consciously or subconsciously ignore banner-likeinformation and other visually presented advertisements. Bannerblindness as a phenomenon has been recognized outside the context ofonline advertising in connection with a simple overflow of disparatelysourced content on a single Web page. In the context of socialnetworking, a stream of status updates that is voluminous and consumes asubstantial portion of a page can result in banner blindness just as ifthe status updates were banner advertisements. Further, the requirementto scroll through or page through a multiplicity of different entries ina feed can result in the overlooking of important entries—just as inbanner blindness.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Embodiments of the present invention address deficiencies of the art inrespect to social networking update presentation management and providea novel and non-obvious method, system and computer program product forblinder avoidance in social networking interactions. In an embodiment ofthe invention, a method for blinder avoidance in social networkinginteractions is provided. The method includes executing a socialnetworking data processing system in memory of a host computing systemto provide a social networking service to different users in a socialnetwork. The method also includes defining in memory of the hostcomputing system a user interface interaction for a user interface ofthe social networking service, and a corresponding user interface changein connection with a presentation of a status update for an user indifferent streams of other users of the social networking service. Assuch, in response to detecting the user interface interaction in theuser interface with respect to a stream of status updates presented toone of the other users of the social networking service, thecorresponding user interface change is performed in the user interfacein connection with the presentation of the status update for the user inthe stream presented to the one of the other users of the socialnetworking service.

In one aspect of the embodiment, the user interface interaction is afast scroll action or a slow scroll action. In another aspect of theembodiment, the user interface interaction is a page up or down action.In yet another aspect of the embodiment, the user interface interactionis an eye gaze tracking action. In even yet another aspect of theembodiment, the corresponding user interface change is an enlargement ofthe status update of the user or an enlargement of a profile avatarpresented in connection with the status update of the user.Alternatively, the user interface change is a visual decoration of thestatus update with an alert.

In another embodiment of the invention, a social networking dataprocessing system is configured for blinder avoidance in socialnetworking interactions. The system includes a host computing systemthat includes one or more servers, each with memory and at least onemicroprocessor. The system also includes a social networking dataprocessing system executing in the memory of the host computing systemto provide a social networking service to different users in a socialnetwork. The system yet further includes a multiplicity of streams ofstatus updates for ones of the different users displayed in respectivelydifferent user interfaces of the social networking data processingsystem for respectively different ones of the different users. Finally,the system includes a blinder avoidance module executing in the memoryof the host computing system.

The module includes program code enabled upon execution in the memory ofthe host computing system to define in memory of the host computingsystem a user interface interaction for a user interface of the socialnetworking service, and a corresponding user interface change inconnection with a presentation of a status update for one of thedifferent users in different ones of the streams. The module furtherincludes program code enabled upon execution in the memory of the hostcomputing system to respond to a detection of the user interfaceinteraction in one of the different user interfaces with respect to astream of status updates presented to a corresponding one of thedifferent users, by performing the corresponding user interface changein the one of the different user interfaces in connection with thepresentation of the status update for the one of the different users inthe stream presented to the one of the different users.

Additional aspects of the invention will be set forth in part in thedescription which follows, and in part will be obvious from thedescription, or may be learned by practice of the invention. The aspectsof the invention will be realized and attained by means of the elementsand combinations particularly pointed out in the appended claims. It isto be understood that both the foregoing general description and thefollowing detailed description are exemplary and explanatory only andare not restrictive of the invention, as claimed.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS

The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute partof this specification, illustrate embodiments of the invention andtogether with the description, serve to explain the principles of theinvention. The embodiments illustrated herein are presently preferred,it being understood, however, that the invention is not limited to theprecise arrangements and instrumentalities shown, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a pictorial illustration of a process for blinder avoidance insocial networking interactions;

FIG. 2 is a schematic illustration of a social networking dataprocessing system configured for blinder avoidance in social networkinginteractions; and,

FIG. 3 is a flow chart illustrating a process for blinder avoidance insocial networking interactions.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Embodiments of the invention provide for blinder avoidance in socialnetworking interactions. In accordance with an embodiment of theinvention, an user registered in a social networking system and enjoyingone or more social networking connections with other users registered inthe social networking system, can define a user interface interactionand corresponding user interface change in connection with thepresentation of a status change for the user in the different feeds ofthe other users. For instance, the user interface interaction can be afast scroll action, a slow scroll action, a page up or down action, oran eye gaze tracking action. The corresponding user interface change caninclude an enlargement of the status update of the user or anenlargement of a profile avatar presented in connection with the statusupdate of the user, or the visual decoration of the status update withan alert. In any case, by allowing the user interface change to occur inresponse to detecting the corresponding user interface interaction, theopportunity for banner blindness in connection with the status updatecan be reduced.

In further illustration, FIG. 1 pictorially illustrates a process forblinder avoidance in social networking interactions. As shown in FIG. 1,a group of users 110 connected to one another in a social network 120each can view a different stream 130 of user updates 140 in acorrespondingly different user interface to a social networking systemmanaging the social network 120. Each of the user updates 140 can be astatus update of a particular one of the users 110, or content generatedin connection with a particular one of the users 110.

Of note, one or more user interface interactions with respect to thestream 130 can be defined in a table 160 in association with acorresponding user interface change and an user identifier to which theuser interface change is to be applied. For instance, the user interfaceinteraction can be a fast scroll action, a slow scroll action, a page upor down action, or an eye gaze tracking action. The corresponding userinterface change can include an enlargement of a status update for anuser specified by the user identifier, or an enlargement of a profileavatar presented in connection with the status update of the userspecified by the user identifier, or the visual decoration of the statusupdate with an alert. Other possibilities include a re-arrangement ofthe status updates in the stream 130.

Thereafter, blinder avoidance logic 180 can monitor the userinteractions of each user 110 in connection with a corresponding stream130. Upon detecting a user interface interaction 170 specified in thetable 160, the blinder avoidance logic 180 can determine whether or notone of the status updates 140 in a stream 130 is associated with an user110 having an user identifier corresponding to the detected userinterface interaction 170 in the table 160. To the extent that theblinder avoidance logic 180 locates a status update 140 within thestream associated with the user 110 having the user identifier for thedetected user interface interaction 170, the blinder avoidance logic cancause a change in the presentation of the status update 140 in thestream 130, for example by enlarging a size of the status update 140, orby decorating the status update 140 with a visual decorator 150 such asan icon, or by enlarging a profile avatar for or image of the user 110associated with the status update 140, or by changing a profile avatarfor or image of the user 110 associated with the status update 140 to analternative avatar or image.

The process described in connection with FIG. 1 can be implemented in asocial networking data processing system. In yet further illustration,FIG. 2 schematically shows a social networking data processing systemconfigured for blinder avoidance in social networking interactions. Thesystem includes a host computing system 210 that can include one or morehost server computers, each with memory and at least one processor. Thehost computing system 210 can support the execution of a socialnetworking system 280 providing management services for a social networkof different users, each accessing the social networking system 280 fromover a computer communications network 230 by way of respectivelydifferent client computers 240 hosting the execution of an applicationclient 250. Each application client 250 in turn can include a display ina user interface 270 of a stream 260 of status updates for differentusers in the social network.

Notably, a blinder avoidance module 300 can be coupled to the socialnetworking system 280. The module 300 can include program code that whenexecuted in the memory of the host computing system 210, is enabled tostore in a table 290 different specified user interface interactions,such as a fast scroll action in which the scroll speed of a scrollableuser interface control hosting the stream 260 exceeds a threshold value,a slow scroll action in which the scroll speed of a scrollable userinterface control hosting the stream 260 falls below a threshold value,a page up or down action, or an eye gaze tracking action such as a gazetracking action detecting a stare away from the stream 260, or a gazetracking action detecting a rapid change in focus of an user upondifferent locations on the user interface 270. The program code isfurther enabled to store in the table 290 in connection with each of theuser interface interactions, one or more corresponding user interfacechanges, such as an enlargement of the status update of an user in thestream 260, or an enlargement of a profile avatar presented inconnection with the status update of the user in the stream 260, or thevisual decoration of the status update with an icon in the stream 260.

The program code of the blinder avoidance module 300 yet further can beenabled to monitor the stream 260 of each user in a respectivelydifferent user interface 270 so as to detect the occurrence of a userinterface interaction. In response to detecting a user interfaceinteraction, the program code of the blinder avoidance module 300 isenabled to determine a corresponding user status update change in thetable 290 to be applied to a status update for a particular user alsoassociated with the detected user interface interaction in the table290. Thereafter, the program code of the blinder avoidance module 300 isenabled to apply the determined status update change to the presentationin the stream 260 of the status update.

In even yet further illustration of the operation of the blinderavoidance module 300, FIG. 3 is a flow chart illustrating a process forblinder avoidance in social networking interactions. Beginning in block310, a user interface interaction is detected in connection with astream of a user interface presenting different status updates ofrespectively different users in a social network. In block 320, thetable can be consulted in respect to the detected user interfaceinteraction so as to determine in decision block 330 if a correspondingstatus update change can be located. If not, the process can end inblock 340. Otherwise, in block 350 a user identifier for the locatedstatus update change can be determined and in block 360, a status updatein the stream can be inspected to determine if a status update ispresented in connection with an user of the social network having thedetermined user identifier. In decision block 370, if a status updatecan be located in the stream in connection with an user of the socialnetwork having the determined user identifier, in block 380, thepresentation of the status update in the stream can be changed inaccordance with the status update change corresponding to the detecteduser interface interaction.

The present invention may be embodied within a system, a method, acomputer program product or any combination thereof. The computerprogram product may include a computer readable storage medium or mediahaving computer readable program instructions thereon for causing aprocessor to carry out aspects of the present invention. The computerreadable storage medium can be a tangible device that can retain andstore instructions for use by an instruction execution device. Thecomputer readable storage medium may be, for example, but is not limitedto, an electronic storage device, a magnetic storage device, an opticalstorage device, an electromagnetic storage device, a semiconductorstorage device, or any suitable combination of the foregoing.

A non-exhaustive list of more specific examples of the computer readablestorage medium includes the following: a portable computer diskette, ahard disk, a random access memory (RAM), a read-only memory (ROM), anerasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM or Flash memory), a staticrandom access memory (SRAM), a portable compact disc read-only memory(CD-ROM), a digital versatile disk (DVD), a memory stick, a floppy disk,a mechanically encoded device such as punch-cards or raised structuresin a groove having instructions recorded thereon, and any suitablecombination of the foregoing. A computer readable storage medium, asused herein, is not to be construed as being transitory signals per se,such as radio waves or other freely propagating electromagnetic waves,electromagnetic waves propagating through a waveguide or othertransmission media (e.g., light pulses passing through a fiber-opticcable), or electrical signals transmitted through a wire.

Computer readable program instructions described herein can bedownloaded to respective computing/processing devices from a computerreadable storage medium or to an external computer or external storagedevice via a network, for example, the Internet, a local area network, awide area network and/or a wireless network. The network may comprisecopper transmission cables, optical transmission fibers, wirelesstransmission, routers, firewalls, switches, gateway computers and/oredge servers. A network adapter card or network interface in eachcomputing/processing device receives computer readable programinstructions from the network and forwards the computer readable programinstructions for storage in a computer readable storage medium withinthe respective computing/processing device.

Computer readable program instructions for carrying out operations ofthe present invention may be assembler instructions,instruction-set-architecture (ISA) instructions, machine instructions,machine dependent instructions, microcode, firmware instructions,state-setting data, or either source code or object code written in anycombination of one or more programming languages, including an objectoriented programming language such as Smalltalk, C++ or the like, andconventional procedural programming languages, such as the “C”programming language or similar programming languages. The computerreadable program instructions may execute entirely on the user'scomputer, partly on the user's computer, as a stand-alone softwarepackage, partly on the user's computer and partly on a remote computeror entirely on the remote computer or server. In the latter scenario,the remote computer may be connected to the user's computer through anytype of network, including a local area network (LAN) or a wide areanetwork (WAN), or the connection may be made to an external computer(for example, through the Internet using an Internet Service Provider).In some embodiments, electronic circuitry including, for example,programmable logic circuitry, field-programmable gate arrays (FPGA), orprogrammable logic arrays (PLA) may execute the computer readableprogram instructions by utilizing state information of the computerreadable program instructions to personalize the electronic circuitry,in order to perform aspects of the present invention.

Aspects of the present invention are described herein with reference toflowchart illustrations and/or block diagrams of methods, apparatus(systems), and computer program products according to embodiments of theinvention. It will be understood that each block of the flowchartillustrations and/or block diagrams, and combinations of blocks in theflowchart illustrations and/or block diagrams, can be implemented bycomputer readable program instructions.

These computer readable program instructions may be provided to aprocessor of a general purpose computer, special purpose computer, orother programmable data processing apparatus to produce a machine, suchthat the instructions, which execute via the processor of the computeror other programmable data processing apparatus, create means forimplementing the functions/acts specified in the flowchart and/or blockdiagram block or blocks. These computer readable program instructionsmay also be stored in a computer readable storage medium that can directa computer, a programmable data processing apparatus, and/or otherdevices to function in a particular manner, such that the computerreadable storage medium having instructions stored therein comprises anarticle of manufacture including instructions which implement aspects ofthe function/act specified in the flowchart and/or block diagram blockor blocks.

The computer readable program instructions may also be loaded onto acomputer, other programmable data processing apparatus, or other deviceto cause a series of operational steps to be performed on the computer,other programmable apparatus or other device to produce a computerimplemented process, such that the instructions which execute on thecomputer, other programmable apparatus, or other device implement thefunctions/acts specified in the flowchart and/or block diagram block orblocks.

The flowchart and block diagrams in the Figures illustrate thearchitecture, functionality, and operation of possible implementationsof systems, methods, and computer program products according to variousembodiments of the present invention. In this regard, each block in theflowchart or block diagrams may represent a module, segment, or portionof instructions, which comprises one or more executable instructions forimplementing the specified logical function(s). In some alternativeimplementations, the functions noted in the block may occur out of theorder noted in the figures. For example, two blocks shown in successionmay, in fact, be executed substantially concurrently, or the blocks maysometimes be executed in the reverse order, depending upon thefunctionality involved. It will also be noted that each block of theblock diagrams and/or flowchart illustration, and combinations of blocksin the block diagrams and/or flowchart illustration, can be implementedby special purpose hardware-based systems that perform the specifiedfunctions or acts or carry out combinations of special purpose hardwareand computer instructions.

Finally, the terminology used herein is for the purpose of describingparticular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of theinvention. As used herein, the singular forms “a”, “an” and “the” areintended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearlyindicates otherwise. It will be further understood that the terms“comprises” and/or “comprising,” when used in this specification,specify the presence of stated features, integers, steps, operations,elements, and/or components, but do not preclude the presence oraddition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations,elements, components, and/or groups thereof.

The corresponding structures, materials, acts, and equivalents of allmeans or step plus function elements in the claims below are intended toinclude any structure, material, or act for performing the function incombination with other claimed elements as specifically claimed. Thedescription of the present invention has been presented for purposes ofillustration and description, but is not intended to be exhaustive orlimited to the invention in the form disclosed. Many modifications andvariations will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the artwithout departing from the scope and spirit of the invention. Theembodiment was chosen and described in order to best explain theprinciples of the invention and the practical application, and to enableothers of ordinary skill in the art to understand the invention forvarious embodiments with various modifications as are suited to theparticular use contemplated.

Having thus described the invention of the present application in detailand by reference to embodiments thereof, it will be apparent thatmodifications and variations are possible without departing from thescope of the invention defined in the appended claims as follows:

1. A method for blinder avoidance in social networking interactions, themethod comprising: executing a social networking data processing systemin memory of a host computing system to provide a social networkingservice to different users in a social network; defining in memory ofthe host computing system a user interface interaction for a userinterface of the social networking service, and a corresponding userinterface change in connection with a presentation of a status updatefor a user in different streams of other users of the social networkingservice; and, responsive to detecting the user interface interaction inthe user interface with respect to a stream of status updates presentedto one of the other users of the social networking service, performingthe corresponding user interface change in the user interface inconnection with the presentation of the status update for the user inthe stream presented to the one of the other users of the socialnetworking service.
 2. The method of claim 1, wherein the user interfaceinteraction is a fast scroll action or a slow scroll action
 3. Themethod of claim 1, wherein the user interface interaction is a page upor down action.
 4. The method of claim 1, wherein the user interfaceinteraction is an eye gaze tracking action.
 5. The method of claim 1,wherein the corresponding user interface change is an enlargement of thestatus update of the user or a change in a profile avatar presented inconnection with the status update of the user.
 6. The method of claim 1,wherein the user interface change is a visual decoration of the statusupdate.
 7. A social networking data processing system configured forblinder avoidance in social networking interactions, the systemcomprising: a host computing system comprising one or more servers, eachwith memory and at least one microprocessor; a social networking dataprocessing system executing in the memory of the host computing systemto provide a social networking service to different users in a socialnetwork; a multiplicity of streams of status updates for ones of thedifferent users displayed in respectively different user interfaces ofthe social networking data processing system for respectively differentones of the different users; and, a blinder avoidance module executingin the memory of the host computing system, the module comprisingprogram code enabled upon execution in the memory of the host computingsystem: to define in memory of the host computing system a userinterface interaction for a user interface of the social networkingservice, and a corresponding user interface change in connection with apresentation of a status update for one of the different users indifferent ones of the streams, and to respond to a detection of the userinterface interaction in one of the different user interfaces withrespect to a stream of status updates presented to a corresponding oneof the different users, by performing the corresponding user interfacechange in the one of the different user interfaces in connection withthe presentation of the status update for the one of the different usersin the stream presented to the one of the different users.
 8. The systemof claim 7, wherein the user interface interaction is a fast scrollaction or a slow scroll action
 9. The system of claim 7, wherein theuser interface interaction is a page up or down action.
 10. The systemof claim 7, wherein the user interface interaction is an eye gazetracking action.
 11. The system of claim 7, wherein the correspondinguser interface change is an enlargement of the status update of the useror a change in a profile avatar presented in connection with the statusupdate of the user.
 12. The system of claim 7, wherein the userinterface change is a visual decoration of the status update.
 13. Acomputer program product for blinder avoidance in social networkinginteractions, the computer program product comprising a non-transitorycomputer readable storage medium having program instructions embodiedtherewith, the program instructions executable by a device to cause thedevice to perform a method comprising: executing a social networkingdata processing system in memory of a host computing system to provide asocial networking service to different users in a social network;defining in memory of the host computing system a user interfaceinteraction for a user interface of the social networking service, and acorresponding user interface change in connection with a presentation ofa status update for an user in different streams of other users of thesocial networking service; and, responsive to detecting the userinterface interaction in the user interface with respect to a stream ofstatus updates presented to one of the other users of the socialnetworking service, performing the corresponding user interface changein the user interface in connection with the presentation of the statusupdate for the user in the stream presented to the one of the otherusers of the social networking service.
 14. The computer program productof claim 13, wherein the user interface interaction is a fast scrollaction or a slow scroll action.
 15. The computer program product ofclaim 13, wherein the user interface interaction is a page up or downaction.
 16. The computer program product of claim 13, wherein the userinterface interaction is an eye gaze tracking action.
 17. The computerprogram product of claim 13, wherein the corresponding user interfacechange is an enlargement of the status update of the user or a change ina profile avatar presented in connection with the status update of theuser.
 18. The computer program product of claim 13, wherein the userinterface change is a visual decoration of the status update with analert.